Particles of a liquid
A are tightly packed together and stay in a fixed position
B. are free to move in a container but remain in close contact with one another.
C. have no viscosity
D. decrease in volume with increasing temperature.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is B: particles of a liquid are free to move in a container but remain in close contact with one another.
Explanation:
In a liquid, particles are closely packed but not fixed in position. Unlike solids, where particles are tightly packed and stay in fixed positions, particles in a liquid have the ability to move around. This movement allows liquids to flow and take the shape of their container while maintaining a definite volume.
Particles in liquids are held together by intermolecular forces, which keep them close but not rigidly fixed. This explains why liquids have a definite volume — the particles are not far enough apart to compress easily — but no definite shape because the particles can slide past each other and adapt to the container’s shape.
Option A describes particles of a solid, which are tightly packed and fixed in position. Option C states that liquids have no viscosity, but this is incorrect because viscosity is the property that measures a liquid’s resistance to flow. Different liquids have different viscosities; for example, honey is more viscous than water. Option D is also incorrect since liquids generally expand and increase in volume with increasing temperature, although the change is usually small compared to gases.
In summary, the particles of a liquid have the freedom to move past each other while remaining close, allowing liquids to flow but retain a constant volume. This behavior distinguishes liquids from solids and gases and is fundamental to understanding their physical properties.